Battery terminal clamp



Sept. 1, 1931'.

C. E. TAYLOR BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed June 18, 1928 IN V EN TOR.

. ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE onARnrs E. TaYLoR, or LOS ANeELE's,cAmRoRnIA, ASSIGNOR To TAYLoR BROTHERS mnURAcTnRme CORPORATION, TELKHART, mourns, a CORPORATION or INDIANA BATTERY TERMINAL ctmrApplication filed June 18,

. My. invention relates to battery terminal clamps for securing electriccables or conductors to the terminal posts of storage batteries. I

The objects of my invention are: first, to provide a clamp of this classwhich may be easily and quickly rigidly secured to a battery terminal0st, and also easily and quick- 1y disconnecte and removed therefrom;second, to provide a clamp of'this class which will not be distortedwhen securing the same to the post, and again distorted in the oppositedirection when removing the same from the post; third, to provide aclamp of this class whereby, when the clamp is secured to or removedfrom the battery terminal post, the usual distorting or twisting forceon the post or the shocks caused by pounding against the clamp, isreduced to a minimum, thus materially increasing the life of the batteryand the casing therefor, as well as leaving the posts free from mars andburrs; fourth, to provide a clamp of this class whereby substantiallythe whole of the battery terminal post is surrounded by the clamp, thusproviding a greater-grip thereon, and also" reducing the likelihood ofcor-- rosion of the post and the marring thereof to a minimum; fifth, toprovide a clamp of this class which is very light of construction butvery strong; sixth, to provide a clamp of this class which is composedof several clamp members, but so connected as to form a unitary clampand further so connected that the parts cannot be readily se arated, andfurther so connected that w en a battery terminal post is clamped, the

several parts will not be distorted; seventh,

to provide a particularly simple and economical means and method ofconnecting two slidable members of the clamp together; and, ,eighth, toprovide as a whole a novelly constructed clamp of this .class and onewhich will not readily deteriorate or get out oforder. i I

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions, as W'lll. be hereinafter de-1928. Serial No. 286,427.

scribed in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the charactersof reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure l is a top side view of my battery terminal clamp in itspreferred embodiment, showing the same as it appears from above when thesame is secured to a battery terminal post; Fig. 2 is an end viewthereoftaken from the screw end of the clamp; Fig. 3 is another end viewthereof taken from the cable end thereof; Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsectional elevational view thereof taken through 4'4 of Fig. 1; and,Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views thereof taken,respectively, through 55 and, 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the views of the drawings.

The preferred embodiment of my battery terminal clamp, as illustrated inthe drawings, consists of a stationary battery clamp lower to the upperside. At one end of the member 1' is a seat ortion 1b o f,substantiallysemi-circular orm at the inner side of which is-provided a semi-circularrecess ,10 which is tapered convergingly upwardly from thev lower to theupper side of the -member 1 forming a tapered semi-circular seat'forreceiving one side of a tapered or frusto conical battery terminal post,shown by dotted lines and designated A in Fig. 4. From the oppositesides or ends of' the semicircular portion 11), extend' arms or straps101 which form the opposite sides of the longitudinal opening 1a Theextended ends of the arms or straps 1d are connected by a cross memberor portion 1a which forms the end wall of the opening 10. opposite ;theend provided with the semi-circular recess 10. The portions 1?), 1d and1e are preferably molded together as an integral unit, as shown;

In the openin 101 is positioned the movable clamp member 2, whichextends trans versely across theopening between the arms onstraps 1d andis reciprocally mounted in .alongitudinalfdirection therein on the armsor straps 1d. The opposite lower and upper edges of the inner sides ofthe arms or straps 1d are beveled forming longitudinally extendingrecessed guide portions or ledges 1f I ridges orledgxes inwardly fromthe lower and upper sides of the member 1. At the lower and upper edgesof the opposite ends of the clamp.

member 2, are provided outwardly or laterally extending ridges orledges2a and 2?),

respectively, which ridges or ledges are beveled at their adjacent innersides at an angle corresponding with'the beveled ledges 1f.

h'ese ridges or ledges ride upon the beveled led es 1 and form retaininportions for hol g the member 2 in position relative to the member 1against removal and in guiding relation therewith. "The lower scribed,but t e up er ridges or ledges 2b are formed by swedgin upwardlyextending portions, shown by otted lines and designated in Fig. 6,downwardly and outwardly, after the member 2 is placed in the positionshown, against the upper beveled The inner side of the member 2 adjacentthe seat 1c is also provided with an upwardvided,

lytapered semi-circular'seat 203 which is adapted to engage the oppositeside of the battery terminal 'post.

- The seat portions 10 and 2d are clamped against the opposite sides ofthe battery terminal post by the screw 3 which may be an ordinary setscrew. This screw extends through a boss '19 at the outer side of thecross portion 10 and extends into the opening 1w at-its longitudinalaxis, engaging at its-inner end the side of the clamp member 2 oppositethe seat portion.

On the stationary clamp member 1 is propxreferably by molding integrallytherewit a cable connectingpost, or socket, 170; of any suitableconstruction for connecting an electric cable or conductor thereto.

.This connecting portion lit-may be either extended from the and of themember, 1 in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the member 1,or,from the side thereof, or there-- from at anangle.

It will be here noted that the material of which theseveral members aremade is preferably a non-corrosive metal so as to reduce binding of theseveral members together to a minimum.

It will be also noted that the construe:

tion of the clamp, as shown, is such that the samemaybe utilized eitheron the positwo or negative post of thebattery, and

2a maybe molded, as de-- ismase may be used either as a right or lefthand clamp.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire toinclude in the scope of my invention the construction, combination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a battery terminal clamp, a'clamp member having a longitudinalopening therein and longitudinal recessed guide portions at the oppositelateral sides of said opening and at the opposite sides of the clampmember, and a movable clamp member positioned 'in said openingtransversely therewith and reciprocally longitudinally therewith,theopposite ends of the movable clamp member being provided at theopposite sides thereof with outwardly extending retaining portionsadapted to extend into the longitudinally extending recessed guideportions of the first clamp member and positioned substantially flushwith'the upper and lower sides thereof engaged by the movable clampmember, for preventing removal of the movable clamp member from thelatter.

- 2. In a battery terminal clamp, a clamp member having a batteryterminal post seat near one end, a connecting portion at its oppositeend and arms connecting the opposite sidesiof the seat portion with theopposite end of the connecting portion, forming a longitudinal openingin said member, the opposite edges of the'sides of the arms forming thelongitudinal opening being beveled from the cross portion to the seatportion, and a movable clamp member extending transversely across theopening and recipro cal longitudinally therein, the opposite ends arms.

3. A battery terminal clamp comprising a clamp member having alongitudinal opening therein, said opening extending through the upperand lower sides of the clamp member, a movable clamping block positionedinsaid opening transversely thereto and reciprocally movablelongitudinally thereof,

the ends of the clamping block being-relatively wide and flat andpositioned in substantial engagement with the inner side walls at thelaterally opposite sides of the opening and in such manner relativethereto as to prevent turning of the block relative to the firstmentioned clamp member, said clamping block having at its upper andlower sides retaining ledges extending beyond the aforementioned endsand engaging the upper and lower portions of the clamp member at theopposite sides of said opening,

